Behind the Facade
by Reincarnations
Summary: TEMPORARY HIATUS. Jay, the son of Jafar, is known to flirt with any girl he sees. What if he is using that to cover a secret of his? This is the story of how Jay finds his 'true love' when he and his friends come to Auradon. Of course, they keep it a secret from everyone they know, but a certain situation makes one realize how much they truly care for their significant other.
1. Chapter 1

**I've had this chapter typed for a while now, but never published it because I was so busy with other stories. After coming up with an idea for a future chapter, I decided to publish it just to see what you think of the first chapter.**

**I came up with this idea when I remembered a story of mine that mentioned a certain couple dating with not many people knowing. It also doesn't help that the writers of Descendants never gave Jay a definite love interest. For all we know, Jay could be gay and flirt with girls as a cover-up.**

**And with that in mind, this story was created.**

**This story is basically my take of what would happen in the Descendants movies **_**if **_**the writers kept Aziz in the story line or if he was actually in it. That's basically the same thing, but who cares?**

**Be sure to leave a review if you like the first chapter! If so, in the next chapter, I'll announce my updating schedule. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

No one knows the 'dark' secret that Jay has kept from everyone on the Isle of the Lost. To be fair, he had a good reason to. The villains wouldn't accept him if they knew. They and their children would either banish him from the village or possibly execute him. The last option is unlikely since his father, Jafar, is one of the most feared and respected villains. You never know—Jafar could be so repulsed at the idea of his son being gay that he'd allow the villains to do whatever they pleased.

Whoops.

Guess the secret is out.

Jay, the most handsome teenager on the Isle that every girl wants to date, is gay.

He didn't really know when he first realized that he preferred men over women. Jay felt no joy or any romantic feelings when he flirted with any of the villains' daughters. When he was younger, about eleven or twelve, his heart would skip a beat whenever he spoke to the older boys.

Now that he was sixteen, Jay ridiculed himself for ever having a crush on the Gaston twins. They were repulsive, pig-headed, and not someone Jay could picture himself dating and eventually marrying in about four years. Yes, Jay is a little young to think about marriage, but to be quite fair, many of those kings and queens in Auradon married at sixteen or less.

Speaking of Auradon, in less than an hour Jay and his three friends—Mal, Evie, and Carlos—would be on their way to the heroes' home.

Prince Ben, the son of King Beast and Queen Belle, will be King of Auradon in less than a month. His first official decree as king is to allow the children of the villains on the Isle a 'chance' to live in Auradon. Ben believed they are innocent since it was their parents that committed the 'unspeakable' crimes.

HA! What a chump.

The prince didn't realize that the villains were going to use his generosity against him. As of now, the four's parents—Jafar, Maleficent, Evil Queen, and Cruella de Vil—are plotting with their children to steal the Fairy Godmother's wand. Once the children get the wand, they will use it to tear down the magic barrier on the Isle and set all the villains free, who will join together to take over Auradon! They didn't care how their children did it, but there would be severe consequences if they failed.

Well, at least for three of the four children.

As they were traveling to the bottom floor of the Bargain Castle, Jafar pulled his son to the side for a private discussion.

"You don't have to go along with Maleficent's plans if you don't want to." Jafar insisted in a somewhat sympathetic tone.

Jay didn't really know what to say. He couldn't believe that his father was saying such things. Jafar was known for his twisted heart and evil schemes, more specifically using people's emotions against them. Why would he change his ways for his son?

"I want what's best for you," his father claimed, as though he read Jay's mind. "You are my son. If you end up liking Auradon and don't want to get the wand anymore, then don't. I want you to be happy; that's all I care about, _not _the wand, Understood?"

Jay meekly nodded in response. He was half tempted to tell his secret, but thought better of it at the last second. If he gets the chance to, Jay will most likely tell his father when he's in Auradon. That way Jafar can't kill his son for being gay.

They walked outside to join the others and the spectators. Jay inspected the limousine appreciatively—stealing the hood ornament off the car in the process—while Jafar placed his son's bag in the trunk. The father-son shared a brief hug in good-bye, which was really an excuse for Jay to sneak the hood ornament into his father's pocket.

After the four villain children were in the vehicle and their belongings in the trunk, the driver slid into his front seat and shut the door, locking it in the process. "The jackals have landed," he muttered into a mike inside his lapel.

The villains waved good-bye to their children from outside the limo as it began to roll. On the street, the villagers looked on as the limo cruised away.

Jay and his friends took in the inside of the limo. They ogled all the buttons, gadgets, colored lights, refreshments, and vast arrays of chocolates, gumballs, jawbreakers, jelly beans, rock candies, and other sweets. Jay wrenched open the fridge. His friends played with the sound system, unwrapped candies and opened cans of soda, and pressed every button, quickly trashing the limo.

Evie went at Mal with a makeup brush. "You're looking a little washed out. Let me help you out."

"Ew, stop." Mal batted her hand away. "I'm plotting."

Jay kept a comment to himself. Mal, his longest friend on the Isle, had more to lose on this evil scheme than he did. There's no doubt that she'll have hatched up half a dozen plans by the time they've made it to the land of sunshine.

"Well, it's not very attractive," Evie commented, gnawing on blue rock candy.

Carlos wolfed down a chocolate peanut butter cup and shook his head with wonder. "Oh! These! It's salty like nuts, but it's sweet like I don't know what."

"Let me see," Jay practically ordered.

Carlos opened his mouth for Jay to look at the chewed-up peanut butter cup on his tongue. Some fell out. Jay was half tempted to barf. There would be no way that he'd consider Carlos as a potential boyfriend with how gross he is sometimes. Jay stole a cup from Carlos and popped it into his mouth, savoring the delicious sweet.

Mal clicked a random button on a remote that she found on the seat. The screen that separated the teens from the driver opened.

"Look!" Evie exclaimed, now that she had a clear view out the front of the limo.

The five teens stared ahead at the ruined remains of a bridge and the impenetrable barrier. There was just sea ahead. It looked like they were going to be driven straight into the water. Jay tensed up at the sight. There's no way the heir to the throne would just kill them off before making it to Auradon.

Right?

"It's a trap!" Carlos shouted, terrified.

They all screamed. Carlos jumped onto Jay and Evie clung to Mal for dear life. The driver pushed a remote attached to the visor. The limo hit the ruins of the bridge and barreled through the barricade. They did not hurtle into the sea. Instead, a magnificent bridge appeared under the steady wheels of the limo. Quickly, Jay and his friends composed themselves, embarrassed about losing their cool. Jay peeled Carlos off him so the younger boy couldn't feel his quickened heartbeat.

"What just happened?" Carlos wondered.

"It must be magic!" Evie deduced with a happy smile.

Mal tapped the wall behind the driver. "Hey!" She held up the remote she still had in her hand. "Did this little button just open up the magic barrier?" she asked him.

"Nope." The driver indicated the remote on his visor. "_This _one opens the magic barrier." He motioned at the remote Mal held. "That one opens my garage. And this one . . ." He pushed a button and the screen slid up, shutting odd Mal and her friends.

"Nasty." Mal smiled approvingly, tossing her remote to the floor. "I like that guy."

The limo traveled across the bridge, which continued to extend over the wide expanse of water toward Auradon. The bridge behind the limo disappeared, leaving no way for them to travel back or for anyone to follow. The driver pulled the limo into the sunny kingdom of Auradon and slowed in front of a sign:

WELCOME TO AURADON PREP.

GOODNESS DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER.

* * *

The limo cruised through the sprawling green campus and came to a stop. An impressive building with a flower garden loomed before them. A group of curious students in blue-and-gold uniforms waited outside the limo, waving welcome flags. A marching band started to play with great gusto. The driver opened the limo door with Jay and Carlos immediately tumbling out. They were about as undignified as it got.

Jay was yanking at a scarf that Carlos was clutching on for dear life.

"You got everything else, why do you want this?" Carlos asked.

"'Because _you_ want it!" Jay insisted, wrestling Carlos to the ground and pinning him there with his foot. In their squabble, they didn't notice the group of students watching them. The students backed away at the sight of them fighting, and the band dribbled to a wheezing stop.

Evie emerged out of the vehicle next, completely ignoring their little fight. She twirled dramatically to get a view of the place. Mal stepped out next, acting annoyed as usual.

A smiling woman stepped through a clump of students with her arms outstretched as if she were about to hug someone. She had brown hair pulled back in a loose bun, pearl earrings, and a lavender dress with a pink bow at the neck.

Mal noticed the woman and alerted her friends. "Guys, guys, guys," Mal muttered from the side of her mouth. "_We have an audience._" Then she put on a fake smile and struck a fetching pose. Evie followed suit, resting her hands on her hips.

Jay smiled and told his audience, "Just _cleaning up_." He grabbed Carlos by his arm and hoisted him up. "Get up."

The woman chided cheerfully, "Leave it like you found it!" She grinned happily. "And by that, I mean just leave it." She gave Jay a stern look that meant he better listen.

With a sigh Jay reluctantly tossed all his loot back into the limo, including the scarf. There goes all the merchandise for his father's store, though Jay wasn't even sure how he'd send the stuff to him.

The woman smiled and nodded approvingly.

Then Jay noticed a pretty student with caramel-colored skin and chocolate-brown hair. She wore a blue sweater, a pink dress, and a gleaming gold necklace. This girl would be _perfect_ to help hide his real sexuality.

Jay sauntered up to her with a wide, flirtatious smile. His friends probably thought he was scheming to take her necklace. "Hello, foxy!" He greeted over the top. "The name's Jay."

The girl faked a laugh, which died down to a disgusted sigh,

The woman stepped forward, most likely to help the girl. "Welcome to Auradon Prep." She then went on to introduce herself. "I'm Fairy Godmother. Headmistress." She bowed elegantly, though it didn't impress Jay. In fact, his attention wasn't even on her anymore.

Amongst the crowd of students behind the headmistress stood out a boy that caught Jay's attention immediately. The incredibly handsome teen had short black hair, bright blue eyes, and wore a normal outfit—compared to the others around him. He and Jay made eye contact, making the latter's heart skip a few beats. The boy's eyes widened and his mouth hanged agape, almost like he was as dumbstruck as Jay.

Maybe _he _is good enough to be boyfriend material. That is . . . _if_ he was even gay. Maybe he's bi. . .

"_The _Fairy Godmother?" Mal asked, snapping Jay out of his awestruck daze. "As in 'Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo'?" She pretended to wave a wand for emphasis.

"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-you-know-it!" Fairy Godmother agreed.

Mal gave her a forced 'good-girl' smile. "Yeah, I always wondered what if felt like for Cinderella when you just . . . appeared out of nowhere! With that sparkling _wand_ and warm smile . . . and that sparkling _wand_." She flashed a big cheesy smile.

Carlos licked chocolate off his fingers as Mal spoke.

"That was a long time ago," insisted Fairy Godmother. "And as I always say, don't focus on the past or you'll miss the future!" She smiled. "_Wherever_ you wind up!"

"It's so good to finally meet you all," greeted a handsome young man—not as handsome as the other boy—as he stepped forward and clasped his hands. He wore a navy suit jacket that sported the Auradon Prep crest, a hankie in the breast pocket, and a pastel plaid tie. "I'm Ben."

"_Prince_ Benjamin," the girl corrected with a squeal. "Soon to be king!"

"You had me at 'prince'," Evie said as she stepped forward and stared into Ben's eyes. "My mom's a queen, which makes me a princess." She started to bow.

"The Evil Queen has no royal status here," the girl began with a sugar-sweet smile, "and neither do you."

Ben gave the girl a look that said 'cool it'. "This is Audrey," he stated without a care.

"_Princess_ Audrey," Audrey corrected again, taking Ben's hand. "His _girlfriend_. Right, Bennyboo?" She flashed a smile at Ben.

Jay tried not to roll his eyes. It was girls with attitudes like Audrey's that helped him realize he wasn't straight.

"Ben and Audrey here will lead you to your dorms and I'll see you all tomorrow." Fairy Godmother threw up her hands dramatically. " 'The doors of wisdom _are never shut_!' But the library hours are from eight to eleven and, as you may have heard, I have a little thing about curfews." She smiled, turned away from the new arrivals, and walked toward a building with the marching band following in her footsteps.

Audrey glared at Mal through a smile. "Hey! You're Maleficent's daughter, aren't you?" Then she said in a disingenuous voice, "I totally don't blame you for your mother trying to kill my parents and stuff. Oh, my mom's Aurora. Sleeping—"

"Beauty. Yeah, I've heard the name," said Mal, cutting her off. "You know, and I totally don't blame your grandparents for inviting _everyone in the world_ except for my mother to their stupid christening."

Audrey blasted a fake smile. "Water under the bridge!"

"Totes!" Mal agreed, putting on an even bigger fake smile.

Both girls faked a laughed and let the laughter fizzle out in unison.

Jay rolled his eyes at the exchange. Of course, with Mal's luck she would meet the daughter of her mother's worst enemy. Naturally, the two will have a feud with each other. It's likely him and Evie will meet their parents' enemies' child next, unless the Dalmatian pups went to school at Auradon Prep.

Anyways, the Auradon couple shared simple facts about the school and its history.

The teens looked up into the face of a fearsome statue that resembled Prince Ben's father in Beast form. Ben clapped and it came to life with a fearsome growl. Carlos squealed and jumped into Jay's arms.

Jay inwardly groaned in annoyance. Carlos is _not_ who Jay wanted in his arms. He'd rather have that handsome, yet mysterious, unnamed boy. Once the tour is over Jay _has_ to find that boy and get to know him better.

Maybe he is Jay's true love?

* * *

**Just ending the chapter here. Be sure to leave a review if you think this story has potential or is good enough to be continued.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the next chapter. **

**I know I said I would update tomorrow, but I have a college event going on then and I'm afraid I would forget to update.**

**UPDATE WARNING!**

**This story will be updated once every other week on Fridays since I have college and multiple other stories in the works. If I get ahead on those other stories, updates could change to once a week.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Jay couldn't believe his rotten luck.

First, he and his three friends were unable to steal Fairy Godmother's magic wand from the museum. When Jay tried to forcefully kick down the entrance doors, Mal used a spell to open them, causing him to fall flat on his butt. When they found the wand, he tried grabbing the magical item, but a force field knocked him back as a siren went off, awakening the sleeping guard.

The next day Jay had to suffer with his friends through a boring class about 'goodness'. Mal was rocking the class, getting all the right answers without even trying. After hearing her secret, Jay fought to answer the next question. When he answered correctly, Jay teased Carlos before getting into a wrestling match with him.

That resulted in him and Carlos trying out for some kind of sport called tourney. Jay thought he did really well. He got the ball across the field with ease, knocking down a few—well . . . _all_ the players along the way. Apparently, some of those players were on his team, but they shouldn't have gotten in his way! The coach didn't seem to mind Jay's roughness and insisted that he just needed to go over the official rules.

That's what Jay was doing a few hours later when he found his mystery guy.

Jay had been sitting up in the bleachers with Coach Jenkins when he noticed the mystery man practicing by himself on the tourney field. Jay hadn't realized he was a member of the team. Hopefully he wasn't one of the ones Jay had knocked down. . .

Coach Jenkins noticed Jay's attention shifted to someone else after a few moments. "That's Aziz," the teacher informed. "He is the best and the most hardworking player on the team. He can play every position on the field. This afternoon I had him be the shooter to test you." Jenkins shook his head in amusement. "I should've had him on the field. It would have been interesting to see you two against each other. No offense, but my money would have been on him."

Jay couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief. Good, he hadn't screwed anything up with Aziz yet. 'Aziz' . . . the name somehow fit him perfectly, yet Jay knew almost nothing about him.

"Why is he practicing so hard?" Jay questioned as he kept his gaze on the practicing boy. "I didn't think people in Auradon take this sport so seriously."

Coach Jenkin sighed in almost aggravation. "Most don't. You see, there are two ways to get a spot on Auradon Prep's team. First, you actually try out for the team. If you don't make it, then you can buy your way onto the team."

Jay raised an eyebrow in confusion. "That doesn't sound like something a bunch of heroes would do."

"Well Auradon Prep was in the need of some money a few years ago," the coach explained. "They never changed their rules. Some players, like Chad Charming, had their parents pay to have them on the team."

"Is Aziz one of them?"

"No," Coach Jenkin denied with a confident shake of his head. "He worked his ass off to get on the team. Every summer, about two weeks before school starts, we have a tryout for the team. During his freshman year, Aziz didn't make the cut—at first. I told him about the other option, but he blatantly refused to even think about doing such a thing. He wanted to earn his spot on his team, not buy it. Aziz spent the next two weeks practicing day and night so he could try out again on the first day of school. A couple of the players didn't like it, but I agreed since I knew how hard he worked. His skills improved drastically, so he became the newest member. Because of Aziz, we now have two try-outs and that's why I allowed Carlos to stay on the team; I knew a little bit of hard work goes a long way."

Coach Jenkin's face suddenly lit up like he had a brilliant idea. "I know what to do! Aziz could teach you the rules better than I could."

Before Jay say anything, the coach was already calling the young man's name. When Aziz looked over, he perked up almost instantly. Jay silently hoped it was from seeing him. After the teen came over, Jenkins introduced them to each other and excused himself after Aziz agreed to teach Jay.

Jay didn't know what to say. He had no problem talking to girls, mainly because he used them to keep up his façade. Now . . . his head was swarming with what he _could_ say.

Jay cleared his throat to clear the awkward air. "Well, the coach hasn't taught me mu—"

"Are you gay?" Aziz interrupted. Noticing that Jay was taken back by his abruptness, Aziz continued, "Sorry. It's just . . . _I'm_ gay and I couldn't stop thinking about you after I saw you yesterday. If you aren't, that's completely fine, but maybe I could still be a friend."

Jay had to admire Aziz's directness. He would have _never_ admitted to a stranger that he was gay, especially if he was on the Isle. But he's in Auradon now . . .

"I am gay," Jay admitted reluctantly. "But nobody knows that. None of my friends know and neither does my father. I've kept it secret because I didn't want to risk it being unacceptable on the Isle."

Aziz nodded in understanding. "I get it. You want to tell when you're ready. Thanks to a massive jerk, I didn't get that privilege. Luckily, my parents accepted my sexuality and never try to push me to change."

Jay raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Who are your parents?"

"Promise you won't freak out," Aziz pleaded, "because I know your father is Jafar and I'm completely fine with it. I just want a chance—a _fair_ chance—to potentially date you."

Jay thought that was a bit strange, but slowly nodded his head in agreement anyways.

With a soft sigh, Aziz quickly revealed, "I'm the son of Aladdin and Jasmine."

_Damn it! _

Of course, Aziz would be their son!

Eyes going wide and body becoming tense, Jay muttered as he attempted to stand, "I better go."

"Wait!" Aziz grabbed his arm and forced Jay back down on the bleachers. "Give me a chance. Give _us_ a chance. If it doesn't work out, we will pretend we never happened and I won't tell anyone your secret."

Jay pondered on it for a few moments. It wouldn't hurt giving it a try. Besides, Aziz seemed to be a man of his word.

"One date," he finally relented. "Then I'll decide if we continue."

He wouldn't know then, but it may be the best decision Jay has ever made.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is the next chapter!**

**This chapter is basically their date/dates and the tourney game.**

**Not sure what else to say . . .**

**Oh! If you haven't already, be sure to check out my new stories called ****'Descendants 3: Welcome to Reality'**** and ****'Hades's Weakness'****.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

The 'one date' that Jay proposed somehow turned into three dates back to back, with the potential of him going on many more with Aziz.

You see—the day after Jay met Aziz—Aziz planned the date to be at the tourney field around the time he usually practiced. This way no one would be suspicious of them since Aziz has to teach Jay the rules of the game. With that said, Jay would have to skip dinner with his friends since Aziz always skipped to practice.

So, the two had a simple dinner date. Aziz made them a small, yet simple meal that they would eat on the bleachers. They simply got to know more of each other before reluctantly going over the rule-book to keep up their façade.

As Aziz read the guidelines and explained it in simpler terms, Jay found himself staring at Aziz's lips, not that the prince noticed. While he nodded unconsciously to everything Aziz was saying, Jay silently wondered what it would feel like to kiss them. Taking a chance of making a mistake, Jay leaned forward and kissed Aziz while he was in mid-sentence.

Best decision Jay ever made.

The next day—also known as their second date—they were back at the bleachers, eating dinner together once again, but they quickly found themselves in a heated make-out session. It probably would have gone on for forever if one of Jay's friend hadn't texted him, asking where he was. He mentally made a note to keep the kissing to a minimum so his friends would go looking him like they said they would.

Yet somehow, on their fourth date, Jay found himself laid on his back against the seat of the bleacher as Aziz was atop of him, fervently attacking his lips as he tangled his fingers into Jay's long brown hair. The thief managed to pry the prince off him, but Aziz ended up attacking his neck instead.

Jay groaned at the action. "I-izzy," he stuttered between breaths. "I need a break . . . and I _don't_ need a hickey. I can't cover it."

Aziz snickered as he pulled only a few inches away from his new significant other. " 'Izzy'?" The prince repeated with an amused smirk. "If you are calling me that in private, then I get to call you 'Jay-jay'."

Jay rested his head against the seat with a slight huff. "Please, don't."

"Too late," Aziz teased. Using the hand in his beloved's hair to massage his scalp, the prince stared at the thief with a certain gleam in his eyes. "How are you feeling about the tourney game tomorrow?"

"Nervous," Jay admitted with no hesitation. "And I'm not even sure if I'm playing."

"You are," Aziz promised with a small smile. "Coach told me during practice today. He's going to put you in for the last couple plays so we have a definite win. He's trying to think about who you should replace, so I volunteered to step out."

Jay stared at him in shock. "You can't be serious. You worked too hard for a newbie like me to take your spot."

"I don't have a definite spot," Aziz reminded with a shrug. "We're like a deck of cards. You're the ace needed to win the hand, while I'm the joker used to fill whatever is needed."

"Not if I have a say in it," Jay argued with determination. "I'm not playing unless you _and_ Carlos are on the field with me."

With the smiling on his lips growing, Aziz gave his beloved a sweet, gentle kiss. Leaning back, he confessed softly, "I love you, Jay-jay."

Holding his gaze, Jay allowed his mouth to hand open slightly. "I'm . . . not sure what to say. . . or do. . ."

"I get it," Aziz reassured kindly. "You don't express such emotions on the Isle. Tell me whenever you're ready. I'll wait, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to tell you every chance I get."

Jay sighed. "I don't deserve you."

"But I've been waiting for you," Aziz retorted teasingly as he stole another quick kiss. "We better go. We're going to need all the rest we can get for the game."

* * *

The next day on the tourney field, the Fighting Knights and the Sherwood Falcons were tied—the first time in years.

The scoreboard read 2:2 with forty-seven seconds left on the clock. Cheerleaders, including Audrey, clapped, chanted, and danced. Jane, the mascot, in a knight's suit of armor, jumped up and down with them. An announcer stood on the field with a golden microphone, as the teams got into their huddles and took up position along the kill zones.

Chad Charming, who had been playing the whole game, took a big swig of water at the cooler that was on the bench before jogging back to the field.

Coach Jenkins smiled encouragingly at Jay, a tourney stick in one hand and his clipboard in the other. "You're up."

Jay vaguely heard the Announcer say, 'And now a substitution. . .' when he bravely stood to his feet and pulled Carlos with him. "Coach, how about my buddy here?"

"Oh, no." Coach Jenkins said as Carlos got out the thief's grip. Carlos sat down as the coach continued, "Not so sure about that."

"Coach, he's been practicing," Jay insisted as he yanked Carlos up by the back of his shirt. "You know from watching another player that a short amount of practices can go a long way."

"Jay. . ."

"And you said yourself a team is made up of a bunch of parts," the son of Jafar continued on with his speech.

"Jay," Carlos pipped in a little rushed, "I'm not that good."

"Well," Jay paused to rub his hair affectionately, smiling proudly, "Carlos's kind of like my brain."

Coach Jenkins pondered on it for only half a moment before turning back to the field, "Aziz! Come here!"

With no hesitation, Aziz jogged over, but Jay had other plans. "Actually," Jay began once his secret boyfriend was next to them, "Aziz has to be with us on the field. I have an idea to win the game and I need his defensive skills for it to work."

Jenkins raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Who do you think should sit out then?"

Jay straightened his stance as he confidently announced, "Chad Charming."

"He's not going to like me replacing him," Aziz insisted. "Chad does _not_ like me."

"He doesn't like us 'VKs' either," Jay retorted. "But maybe this will help him learn a little respect for us."

"Let's do it," Coach Jenkins agreed. "He needs to be knocked down a peg or two anyways. He's getting too arrogant for someone that's paying to be on the team."

So, as the coach called over the other player, Jay patted Carlos on the back. "Don't worry, bro." He encouraged with a smile of his own. "I got your back."

"How about my front?" Carlos wondered.

"Pfft." Jay shoved him forward in a joking manner. "Get out there."

The two began to walk off to the field, passing the confused prince.

"Well, will you look at this!" The announcer exclaimed after he caught on to what was happening. "The coach is pulling Chad Charming from the game to bring out the hothead Jay from the Isle of the Lost and that little guy Carlos, who can barely hold a shield!"

The audience members and cheerleaders gasped in surprise. They couldn't believe the coach would pull out a starter to give two newbies from the Isle of the Lost a chance to play.

With Carlos at his side, Jay headed to Prince Ben to explain his plan. "I have an idea to win the game," the thief informed. "I will pass the ball to Carlos. Carlos, you will use your shield to knock the ball high in the air. Once you do, crouch down with your shield guarding you, like you did at practice. I will jump over you and then kneel with my back facing you. Ben, use us like a human ramp to gain enough momentum to score."

Carlos seemed a little terrified about the plan. "Are you sure we can do that?"

"I've gone over the entire rule-book with Aziz this past week," Jay reassured. "There's nothing in there that says a player can't use their shield to give another player a boost."

"He's right," Ben concurred. "We can do it, but what will we call it, for future games?"

"Isle Rush," Jay determined, "since it was an Isle kid that came up with it."

"Nice," Ben complimented kindly. "Let's do . . ."

Ben never finished his statement as he was hurriedly running back to the sidelines. While the three of them had been distracted, they failed to notice Aziz and Chad getting into a disagreement, which turned into a heated argument with loud incoherent shouting and hostile arm waving. Jay vaguely heard Chad calling Aziz a freak, which made his blood boil that the spoiled snob was insulting his boyfriend.

Aziz merely held his arms out to the side like he was going to bow, though it looked like he was offering Chad a free shot. Chad gladly took it, punching Aziz square in the eye. Jay made a move to storm over there, but the situation was already under control. Ben was practically dragging a highly irate Aziz to the field as Coach Jenkins shoved Chad down onto his sat, scolding him furiously and initially informing him of his punishment.

Despite the previous conflict, everyone got into position. Jay went to his spot next to Aziz, using the opportunity to quickly ask, "What the hell happened?"

"Like I said before," Aziz mumbled, "he didn't like that I was replacing him. He referred to me many times as 'it' and 'freak' because I'm gay. I used to ignore the taunts, but I had enough of his homophobic attitude. I told him we could settle it with a fight and he could have the first shot. I could have won if Ben hadn't pulled me away."

"Be glad he did, Izzy," Jay muttered. "Because I was about to fight him for you, which would have resulted in me getting shipped back to the Isle."

Aziz offered a lopsided grin, despite still being tense about the situation. "We can't let that happen before you tell me you love me! My wait would have been for nothing!"

Jay rolled his eyes playfully as he chided, "You've been waiting for less than a day."

The next play began before Aziz could make another teasing remark.

The long ball was passed to Jay, who leaped and ran with it down the field. Jay dished the ball off to Ben, who was already have way across the field. Carlos, with a big block, went down. Jay ran through the kill zone and picked up Carlos. They were hammered by dragon fire, but Aziz blocked every single one to keep them moving. Jay did another hurdling maneuver midfield, running until he was in the clear to get the ball again.

"Jay!" Carlos called, standing in front of the goal.

An opposing player came after Jay, but Aziz managed to block the player before he could, knocking him down in the process.

Jay whipped the ball to Carlos to start 'Isle Rush'. The ball bounced off Carlos's shield and flew high in the sky. Carlos crouched down so Jay could jump over him. When Jay did so, he tumbled so he would end up kneeling. Ben came running at full speed, stepping onto the shield and Jay's back to use the momentum to jump up and shoot the ball in the goal. The goalie couldn't reach the ball in time as it maneuvered into the corner of the net

Ben scored!

The Knights won!

And it was all thanks to a VK, the future king, and two 'freaks'.


End file.
